Sony Outlet Stores -- all gone now?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by MLutthans, Oct 17, 2013.

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  1. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff Thread Starter

    The Sony Outlet store near me has gone out of business. Too bad, as it was fun to go browse the joint, and I've purchased several items there over the years: dvd/SACD player, boom box, thumb drives, cell phone, car stereo.

    Is the entire chain of stores now gone, or was the closure strictly a local thing?
     
  2. HiFiGuy528

    HiFiGuy528 Formerly Dj_AmTraX

    Location:
    Bay Area
    the Sony Style store in downtown S.F. is sad.... It's more a kiosks than a store.
     
  3. soundboy

    soundboy Senior Member

    Are you talking about the one by Bloomingdale's?
     
  4. saturnsf

    saturnsf Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    Er, the Sony Style store in the Metreon San Francisco closed a couple years ago.

    -edit- It's too bad too. It was a great brand statement store. One thing that was cool was that there was no cash register or check out counter. I suppose all the transactions were discreetly conducted via Square or somesuch. The sales associates all wore suits, too. I still root for Sony as a potentially great hifi/AV marque but it's pretty clear they've lost their way.
     
    Vidiot likes this.
  5. MikeyTags

    MikeyTags Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    we still have them out here, at both the Aurora, IL and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin outlet malls
     
  6. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Thank you. I certainly remember it in 2000. Very futuristic and chic.
     
  7. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    The Sony outlet in Wrentham MA was still open as of a month ago.

    Question for the OP: Are you asking about the Sony Style stores? I haven't seen any of those in quite a while. The outlet stores are completely different.
     
  8. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff Thread Starter

    Sony OUTLET. We had one at the outlet mall just across the freeway from us, and it's gone now.
     
  9. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Sony has been deemphasizing their consumer products division for some time now. Sadly, the biggest profit center for Sony right now is their insurance division. (So help me.) that, plus Sony Pictures.
     
  10. mikaal

    mikaal Sociopathic Nice Guy

    My local suburban outlet closed 12 months ago way over here in Perth. Now I think there is just one major store in the city.
     
  11. Mike McMann

    Mike McMann Forum Resident

    The Sony store at the Erin Mills Town Center mall in Mississauga Ontario has closed. No mention of relocating either.
     
  12. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    My local one in SoCal is still around. Its fun to go there, but sadly I never find much to buy of interest.
     
  13. Jim T

    Jim T Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mars
    ------------
    Maybe we'll see Mayhem working for Sony Insurance one day. He certainly did a job on their audio business. ;>)
     
  14. erniebert

    erniebert Shoe-string audiophile

    Location:
    Toronto area
    I've only ever glanced into any Sony stores. Witnessed a couple yuppies looking at TVs. ho hum.
     
  15. Gruni

    Gruni Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    What I read is the market for hi-fi equipment is continuing to shrink as young buyers opt for phones, tablets and so forth. That market is pretty crowded. Continued pressure from on-line sellers doesn't help either. Plus, when I was looking for hi-fi equipment not that many years ago I didn't think the Sony product was as good as the others. Not the speakers, not the receiver either. My biggest gripe with S0ny is they intentionally withhold features to push you up the price-chain to higher model products that other companies generally give you at a lower price. They could do that back when they had a premium line-up.

    That said, I really like Sony pro video cameras and they are still capable of producing quality products in certain market segments.
     
  16. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    The line I miss from Sony is the Qualia series of products.
     
  17. Scooterpiety

    Scooterpiety Ars Gratia Artis

    Location:
    Oregon
    The Sony store in Portland Oregon closed a couple of years ago.
     
  18. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    A very expensive line.
     
  19. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    In my opinion only relative to the rest of Sony's line. They should be compared to hifi outside Sony, then the prices seem much more reasonable ;)

    The Qualia 010 headphones were some of the best I have heard (with a proper fit), almost as good as the Sennheiser HD800. They were $2600, which is not an outrageous price given the number of $4000+ headphones available today. Most of them I wouldn't pay 1/4 the price.
     
    ShawnMcCann likes this.
  20. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff Thread Starter

    My wife and I were recently visiting Stanford, and at the mall by campus, there was a B&O shop and a Sony shop:

    Here's a lame-o Google maps shot, with B&O left, Sony right:
    Screen shot 2014-08-31 at 9.50.39 PM.jpg
    (It's hard to read, but yes, that's a SONY STYLE store on the right.)
     
  21. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Years back I got a killer Sony ES mobile series cassette deck for my car heavily discounted at a Sony outlet in a strip mall. I didn't see too many other good deals though.

    I was hoping for a top of the line home ES cassette deck as well. First and last time I was ever in one of their outlets. I doubt it is there anymore.
     
  22. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    In the eighties Sony was TV king.
     
    GuildX700 and MLutthans like this.
  23. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I had a 32" XBR from that era, a monster with a great picture. Took 2 people to move that thing.
     
  24. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Chick magnet.
    Very cool to have a 'BIG'Sony tv in your apartment ' Sex Lies And Videotape..esqe.:)
     
  25. GuildX700

    GuildX700 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    IIRC that thing weighed 175 pounds. Heck of a good picture in it's day, and actually the built in speakers sounded good. Also had wireless headphones, PIP, digital freeze frame and zoom, back then that was cutting edge.
     
    alexpop likes this.
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